Imex tanks: World Armor Series: 1/87 scale. Imex Model Co Inc Brooksville Florida USA FL 34604 I would suppose is their post code in America. Made in China. There are about 16 different tanks available in the Military in Miniature World Armour Series. The initial castings of these tanks appeared around 1974 and were made in Hong Kong. At least six were marketed numbers 3101 through to 3106.Â These early tanks had the logo of \"Product of UniversalÂ who wereÂ one of the mainÂ manufactures ofÂ die-cast vehicle toys in the 1970\'s to 1992. In 1996 K-mart sold these tanks under their banner and were Made in China.

These are really impressive tanks for their size and scale.

The Sheridan M551. Designed primarily as an armoured reconnaissance airborne assault vehicle. the M551 entered service in 1966.Â By the time production had been completed in 1970 over 1,700 vehicles had been built.

Having a short stubby 152 mm (6.02 inch) M81 gun/launcher that would accept either the Shillelagh anti tank missile with a range of 3,000 m (9,843 ft) or use the conventional rounds including HEAT-T-MP white phosphorus TP-T and canister projectiles, using combustible cartridge case. Once the missile leaves the gun launcher, four rear fins unfold and are adjusted to guide the missile onto the target via a two-way infra-red, command link. Unfortunately the gun recoil mechanism had proved too violent for this extremely light aluminium hull with the result that a theoretically excellent designed armored vehicle has proved in practice to be virtually un-operational due to this important factor.Â So that explains why the Sheridan had a short life span with the USA army.

Below is the Imex Number 3111 Sheridan.

Anyway this little tank looks good on display

Now these two tanks from both sides of the ocean have served their USA and British designers and manufactures well. Â On the left is the M60, came into operational use in 1960 and has been owned by lots of countries around the world with some still in operational usage by those smaller countries.Â The Chieftain on the right builtÂ in England for the British Army in 1967 and is still regarded as one of the most powerful fighting tanks in the world. So they say.

Below from left is the Imex number 3102 M60 A1. Right is the Imex number 3104 Chieftain.

Slightly more detail included with the Imex when compared with Zylmex which is a little strange when both manufactures boast that they are 1/87 scale. Zylmex is the smallest of the two.

All these Imex tanks were purchased on eBay either from USA or UK. Unfortunately I haven\'t seen these tanks up for auction in Australia.

Below from the left is the Imex number 3101 King Tiger and on the right is the Imex number 3109 Leopard.

On the left is the Panzerkampfwagen V! Ausf B Tiger. In January Hitler ordered that the Tiger should have the 8.8 cm long barrel gun with 150 mm frontal armour.Â Henschel and MAN drafted the design and included the slopping armour conception. Dr Porsche was also required to submit design for the VK 4502. The first model wasn\'t completed until February 1944. Finally the new tank was variously known as the Tiger Ausf B. Tiger 11 Konigstiger. (King Tiger).

On the right is the Kempfpanzer Leopard 1 main battle tank (MBT). 1965 while some refinements and turret change he body of this tank has remained unchanged to a degree.Â Australia has the Leopard AS1 since 1976Â in training and operational use while the Abrams has taken over full combat rolls.

Below from the left is the Imex number 3108 Panther and on the right is the Imex number 3110 Panzer 1V.

Below on the left is the Imex number 3103 T-10 JS 111 and on the right is the Imex number 3112 T-54.

Below is the Imex number 3105 AMX Napoleon

Below is the Imex number 3106 Type 61

Last Edit: 4 years, 4 months ago by GunnerJim. Reason: adding more information

Uniborn tanks These tanks were released under a lot to trade banners around the world.Â Some of the brands were Uiniborn, Tough Wheels, Die Cast Dyna Mite, Victory Force, Die-cast metal tank, Bad Guys, Sgt Rock, Military Action. Most like Uniborn started producing these tanks around the 1980\'s.

From the left King Tiger, M60, SU-100

No number just the basic die-cast metal super structure body and turret while the rigid moulded tracks and undercarriage with the push a long wheels enclosed standardises the production of the generic tanks.

All in all they are reallyÂ collectible especially if they are still in their hanging card like when I bid on eBay there is always two or three bidders hidding in the background until the final seconds tick on.

On the right it the Centurion tank.

There are only six tanks in this collection as far as I know and these four tanks were found locally at the flea markets. So there is some hope around of finding them.

Tin Toys & Lido. Tanks. Made in Hong Kong from about 1970 through to the 1980\'s. Canadian Tire Corporation released several of the Tin Toys models as promotional items like a jeep and a ambulance.

Secondhand tanks: These well played with M60 WTÂ 305 Lido, these latter tanks whichÂ can be recognised by the tank commander situated behind the machine gun in the cupola for this series is similar to what Matchbox was trying to achieve.

The two smallerÂ AFV\'s being the Chieftain and the M551 Sheridan while the other one is the armoured Saladin Mk 11 car and these three AFV\'sÂ could have come from the Mighty Midgets series.

Below is the Tiger WT 227 1/72 scaleÂ and the Tiger WT 308 1/83 scale. Well there abouts with a home made barrel.

They are all number with the letters WT followed by the numerals.

Looks like more detail with the 1/72 scale Tiger V1 than the larger lido from the rear or is it supposed to be the Tiger VKÂ 45 ton tank designed by Porsche as there were 90 placed into production just in case the Henschel design failed.

Below is the Centurion WT 306 thatÂ I hadÂ repainted. I know this one well as I nearly chopped it up with the lawn mower a long time ago. So I picked it up and saved it from destruction and left it in the shed only to forget about it.

Larami Corporation better known for their water pistols. Larami Co tanks These tanks have the letter MT and numeral numbers that follow. This firm was purchase by Hasbro in 1990\'sÂ These well loved tanks were made in Hong Kong.

From left King Tiger MT 1002 and the T-10 JS MT 1004

Below left is the Centurion MT 1003 another of those ones from a long time ago. On the right is the only Mandico charruss SU 100 Made in Singapore NumberÂ T 707

Pity the barrel tipÂ had broken off as it is one of those surviving ones from days gone by.

So if the person who is reading through this forum on Hong Kong to China made toy tanks and had surfed in. The I hope you enjoyed some of the tanks that I have collected over the last 20 years. Starting with the one I nearly chopped up with the lawn mower. Actually there is more to come. One day.

David Yeh of Universal toys ( Macau Toys Ltd 1981) purchased Matchbox Lesney in 1982. It took several years for Universal Toys to completeÂ the tooling changes to the name LesneyÂ on the dies or moulds.Â Within months of the take over of Matchbox, Universal Toys shifted their tooling manufacturing to Macau until Tyco Toys came onto the scene and transfered the lot to China. Or it could have been that China had taken over Macau.Â During the late 1989\'s, Universal Toys ventured into the military series and most of the production paintingÂ runs were repainted civilian trucks, cars, vans and the early or later editions of military made by Lesney.Â Â Â Like the Stout, Wessel, Self Propelled Gun and others pictured below on the back of the card.Â These revamped painted military and civilian vehiclesÂ were marketed under theÂ code nameÂ Commando, Dagger or Strike Force series.

There is about 24 of this series according to Mikes Tanks andÂ I should have bought more when they came available on eBay as they were selling reasonably cheap compared to what they are demanding now.

The most ugliest Jeep LaredoÂ Matchbox has ever made No MB-14. Peterbilt Wrecker MB-61 and Foam Moniter MB-54

Sorry no take out of blister package as the one above or similar, is buy now on eBay at $99 bucks. Even the single blister card CommandoÂ does bring very good prices.

This is one of the painting revamps by Universal No 14 H-2 or MB 14 D of the Layland Tanker

Just added a couple more Zylmex tanks bought from eBay UK for 34.48 British pound.

Made in Hong Kong the King Tiger No T403 in very good condition for its age. Scale 1/87 die-cast metal sold under the banner of \"Landmaster\" and the information reads. Exceptional detail movable guns & turret movable tracks including some small plastic parts.

Pictures of other must collect tanks on the back of the box is inspirational for those who would like to purchase more during that particular period of time in the 1980\'s.

The M60 A1 tank No T401. Different box design under the same marketing brand \"Landmarster\"

On the back of the box is a list of 12 model tanks that were available with the Hong Kong production.

Plastic display ramp.

Bought some more on eBay.

Notice the droop in the King Tiger barrel on the left was probably due to the way it was packaged around the wrong way.

M551 Sherdan.

Type 61 Japan tank made in the USA

British Chieftain.

Just as well I unpackaged this tank to take a picture the tracks were squashed around a bit from the way it was packaged. Might have happened at the factory as these had never been out of the box as they were never sold until I bought them.

M60 A1

Were aÂ $1-12 on the original sales sticker although aÂ $0-59 cents sticker covers the original.Â

Last Edit: 4 years, 2 months ago by GunnerJim. Reason: Adding more pictures and information.

Purchased these Corgi Fighting Machines Tanks and Light Armoured Vehicles from Concorde Hobby Worldwide, Hong Kong recently, at affordable prices for the inspiring armoured collector includingÂ postage to Australia with tracking at a nice price of $64-30 US thus me or I making goodÂ on the Australian Dollar being nearly compatible with the mighty USA buck.

Most of these would have made some sort of debut onto the collectors market around the 2004 and onwards 2006 theme depending on what theater of war or battle and so on that Corgi had produced specifically insignia and painting schemes applied for that period of time.

So lets get them out of their boxes for a closer look.

The Stuart M3 with the lettering on the side of tank USMC 125 and MA 102. The M4 Sherman is the 761 1st Tank Battalion.

The Stuart is from the Corgi Collection Corgi Wheelz well that is what is on the box.

Very nice detail and almost look real.

M3 A1 Half Track Carrier and the Greyhound armoured Car lots of extra detailing on this one like including some of Omaha Beach just after landing thus making the model look even more realistic.

The Greyhound is from the 60th Anniversary Commemorative Series Omaha Beach.

The Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf G looks like it has the wrong turret and gun siting on the PzKpfw IV G Hull as the turret on it really belongs to the PzKpfw IV ausf A that was in service in 1939 and not 1942.

The difference is that the extension on the turret which the Matchbox has is for the extra ammunition and to accommodate the larger gun they carried on the later tanks of this series.

The Panzer is from the History of Tank Warfare.

Little blurry should take another picture.

Apart from that they are a nice little tank and well boxed for display.

The tank on the right is the PzKpfw Ausf G while on theÂ left isÂ the information card of the PzKpfw IV Ausf G according to Corgi although the tank is more the first model A. Although there is not enough detail for comparison with the cupola itself,Â the turret is definitely the early model with slopping rear and sidesÂ without the extra ammunition box. There is some difference with the engine cover superstructure of the hull as well and looks more like the later model tank hull and upper body structureÂ is similarÂ the PzKpfw Ausf GÂ when comparing with the information by Chris Ellis and book Tanks of World War 2 illustrations Corgi designers andÂ modellers in the proto development department might have confused the two types of tanks or did they just make do with the same body and hull.

Last Edit: 4 years, 3 months ago by GunnerJim. Reason: Adding more pictures and information.

Here is a couple of Combat Tanks Collection by DeAgostini Made in China. These two came from the local News Agent shop and were advertised on TV. These tanks still can be purchased through the Web.

Left is the Merkava 111 Israel famous tank built in 1990 replacing the aging Centurion Mk 111\'s. On the right is the Panzer.Kampfwagen V1 Tiger Ausf. E (Sd.Kfz 181. 1943.

Â

I picked thisÂ Centurion Mk 111 from UK eBay in November 2010 and has the 8th King\'s Royal Irish HussarsÂ insignia, Seoul Korea 1951 where these tanks actually proved their worth in battle against the hordes of very well trained and combat ready North Koreans trained by theÂ Chinese andÂ equipped withÂ Russian made T34/85 Medium tanks although they had mainly the older T34\'s.

Last Edit: 4 years, 2 months ago by GunnerJim. Reason: Adding more pictures and information.

Johnny Lightening series. Very nice detailed M 3 Half Track entered service during the Second World War and still was active after the Korean War cease fire was called on the 38th Parallel which is still in place. Has the Browning Machine Gun on the attachment running rail which was on the first production half tracks. Also has the 3 inch mortar sitting in the back.ActuallyÂ I should take it out of its blister pack for more pictures. One day.

Made in China

Last Edit: 4 years, 2 months ago by GunnerJim. Reason: Added more information.

The Johnny Lightning military series has produced some of the nicest vehicles in that scale I\'ve seen. The three I have here are among my favorites, and having both the open and closed cab variants in the series is quite welcome.